Om
Saluting to Maharishi Parasara, Maharishi Vyasa and my preceptors, I attempt to understand this Dharma Shastra called Mahabharata
Thanks to my Guru Shri Visti Larsen, Parama Guru Pandit Sanjay Rath and the Mahapurusha Sri Achyutananda parampara from whom I am learning Jyotish under the auspices of Sri Jagannath Center, my mind seems to have shown inclination to understand the principles of Dharma and other Ayanas. Due to the knowledge I have got from them, I am able to better understand the possible hidden truths in these shlokas.
I continue with the series on Yaksha Prashna episode, which is towards the very end of Vana Parva of Mahabharata. Following is the first set of question posed by the Yaksha to Yudhishtira, the great Bharata. Quick context: Yudhishtira's all four brothers are lying dead at the banks of a lake and a Yaksha is posing questions to him, if he were to allow the Bharata to drink water from the lake. A tired Yudhishtira tries to best to answer these questions.
I mentioned above - "a set of questions". When I say a set, I mean a shloka. Typically in a shloka composed in this beautiful meter of anushtubh, a set a related questions are asked by the Yaksha. You can understand how they are related by going through the first shloka below itself.
I give the Sanskrit text in Devanagari, its English transliteration as per IAST and the English translation. In the English translation, I put the Sanskrit words next to the English for some of the key words, so that one can recognize them in the text. I don't fully understand Sanskrit myself, however I am not completely unfamiliar as well. I can follow it pretty well, especially in Mahabharata as Vyasa is pretty straightforward. I can understand quite a few of the words of Sanskrit. I have also some basic understanding of the grammar, so that also helps. I use the Gita Press Hindi translation which closely translates the Sanskrit almost word for word. I have also referred to the English translation of Kisari Mohan Ganguli.
But this much I guarantee that I translate only after I have understood every word and expression in the Sanskrit thoroughly. Wherever I am in doubt, I use an online Sanskrit-English dictionary. Please find the link here - its really phenomenal and useful - http://spokensanskrit.org/
I have got the Sanskrit text in proper HTML format thanks to this link: https://sanskritdocuments.org/mirrors/mahabharata/mbhK/mahabharata-k-03-sa.html
Lets dive straight in!
यक्ष उवाच। 3-314-47x(2885)
किंस्विदादित्यमुन्नयति के च तस्याभितश्चराः।
कश्चैनमस्तं नयतिकस्मिंश्च प्रतितिष्ठति ॥ 3-314-47(27995)
yakṣa uvāca।
kiṃsvidādityamunnayati ke ca tasyābhitaścarāḥ।
kaścainamastaṃ nayatikasmiṃśca pratitiṣṭhati ॥
Yaksha says:
Who makes the sun (aditya) rise (unnayati)
Who walk (charAh) on all its sides or near it (abhitah)
Who sets (astaM nayati) it
Where is it established or stands still (pratitiSThati)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच। 3-314-48x(2886)
ब्रह्मादित्यमुन्नयति देवास्तस्याभितश्चराः।
धर्मश्चास्तं नयति च सत्ये च प्रतितिष्ठति ॥ 3-314-48
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca।
brahmādityamunnayati devāstasyābhitaścarāḥ।
dharmaścāstaṃ nayati ca satye ca pratitiṣṭhati ॥
Yudhishtira says
Brahma makes the sun rise
Devas walk on all its sides
Dharma sets the sun
And in Truth, the sun is established or stands
On a physical level, this may seem to be describing the 4 states of sun through the course of the day - its rising, its moving through the sky, its setting, and it's going back to its original place - like a car being parked in a garage in the night.
But obviously its a bit deeper than that.
There are four sandhyas or junction points in the day - the sun-rise, the mid-day, the sun-set and the mid-night. These are considered very important time for meditative purposes as these are critical transition points in the sun's motion.
But obviously its a bit deeper than that.
Bit of digreesion: Throughout this Yaksha Prashna question-answer the set of 4 coming up again and again - the 4 varnas in fact are discussed in great detail. Whenever the number 4 comes up, as a jyotishi, the association straightaway goes to the 4 kendras or quadrants.
Coming back, let us think what does the sun indicate here and then let's decode Yudhishtira's answer. In my belief, the sun indicates soul or atman and the above shloka shows its journey into and out of this world, it shows the birth, the journey through life, the death and going back (to either some loka or tala).
Brahma makes the sun rise. Brahma is the Creator, he is the progenitor of all. The body was created by Brahma and sun or atman manifests in this world (or rises, as the shloka says) through the vehicle of the body, created by Brahma. Hence Yudhishtira says that Brahma causes the sun to rise.
The Devatas accompany the sun. Who are the Devatas. Devata comes from the root "div" which means light or knowledge. Devatas provide with the knowledge to go through the life's journey. In one sense, devatas are also the indriyas and manas which form the sukshma sharira or subtle body that accompanies the atman in the life's journey and through the indriyas, the consciousness is able to experience this world.
Depending on the prarabdha karma (or the ripened, commenced karma) of the jiva, it adopts a particular body and mind with which it goes through this birth.
After the karmas assigned to this life is over, Yama who is also known as Dharma, comes to claim the atma back. Dharma, also indicates the order or rhythm, and as per the established order anything which is born eventually dies. So Dharma sets the sun. It doesnt mean that the sun is destroyed, it just means that its manifestation or visible period has ended.
And after death or the setting of the soul, what remains is Truth. For only the Atman is the Truth. And after all the karmas are exhausted, the individual atman merges with the Universal Paramatman, which alone is Satya or Truth. This also means that this apparent world, where the sun rises and journeys through i.e. this atman goes through this life in a particular body and mind is not the real truth. Satya is the atman only and nothing else.
Coming back to Jyotish, Lagna is the rising, the birth. And it is determined by the easternmost point at the time of birth. Lagna indicates the body. And through that the soul manifests on this earth.
The tenth house, also known as Svarga is when the Sun is at it's highest point in the sky. Tenth house is the house of achievement, when one is most visible to the world. One is like Indra in the heavens. Hence its mentioned that this is the phase when the devatas accompany the soul. But that is not the Truth, it's not Satya. One can fall from the heavens as one finds innumerable references of this in the Itihasas and Puranas. Just read about Nahusha's fall from the heaven - nothing can be more precipitous than that.
And then evening comes and the sun sets in the seventh house. Seventh house is also considered a maraka, or death inflictor.
And in the 4th house, the Sun is at its lowest point. Yet this is the time for deep meditation for sannyasis who have renounced the world and for whom only Truth is the soul, the Atman. In jyotish, the 4th house is the seat of moksha ayana, its the moksha kendra. Shaucham sukham - only one who is pure can get the true bliss of moksha. Compared to this the 10th house is the Artha Ayana, or the Ayana (direction, path) of achievements, siddhis. Only by renouncing all sense of achievement, all of one's siddhis can one go in the direction of moksha. Thats why in the Gita, its said that give up the fruits of your karma, don't expect them, don't hold onto them. Till the time there is karma to be experienced, one cannot achieve liberation from this cycle of birth and death.
Saluting to Maharishi Parasara, Maharishi Vyasa and my preceptors, I attempt to understand this Dharma Shastra called Mahabharata
Thanks to my Guru Shri Visti Larsen, Parama Guru Pandit Sanjay Rath and the Mahapurusha Sri Achyutananda parampara from whom I am learning Jyotish under the auspices of Sri Jagannath Center, my mind seems to have shown inclination to understand the principles of Dharma and other Ayanas. Due to the knowledge I have got from them, I am able to better understand the possible hidden truths in these shlokas.
I continue with the series on Yaksha Prashna episode, which is towards the very end of Vana Parva of Mahabharata. Following is the first set of question posed by the Yaksha to Yudhishtira, the great Bharata. Quick context: Yudhishtira's all four brothers are lying dead at the banks of a lake and a Yaksha is posing questions to him, if he were to allow the Bharata to drink water from the lake. A tired Yudhishtira tries to best to answer these questions.
I mentioned above - "a set of questions". When I say a set, I mean a shloka. Typically in a shloka composed in this beautiful meter of anushtubh, a set a related questions are asked by the Yaksha. You can understand how they are related by going through the first shloka below itself.
I give the Sanskrit text in Devanagari, its English transliteration as per IAST and the English translation. In the English translation, I put the Sanskrit words next to the English for some of the key words, so that one can recognize them in the text. I don't fully understand Sanskrit myself, however I am not completely unfamiliar as well. I can follow it pretty well, especially in Mahabharata as Vyasa is pretty straightforward. I can understand quite a few of the words of Sanskrit. I have also some basic understanding of the grammar, so that also helps. I use the Gita Press Hindi translation which closely translates the Sanskrit almost word for word. I have also referred to the English translation of Kisari Mohan Ganguli.
But this much I guarantee that I translate only after I have understood every word and expression in the Sanskrit thoroughly. Wherever I am in doubt, I use an online Sanskrit-English dictionary. Please find the link here - its really phenomenal and useful - http://spokensanskrit.org/
I have got the Sanskrit text in proper HTML format thanks to this link: https://sanskritdocuments.org/mirrors/mahabharata/mbhK/mahabharata-k-03-sa.html
Lets dive straight in!
यक्ष उवाच। 3-314-47x(2885)
किंस्विदादित्यमुन्नयति के च तस्याभितश्चराः।
कश्चैनमस्तं नयतिकस्मिंश्च प्रतितिष्ठति ॥ 3-314-47(27995)
yakṣa uvāca।
kiṃsvidādityamunnayati ke ca tasyābhitaścarāḥ।
kaścainamastaṃ nayatikasmiṃśca pratitiṣṭhati ॥
Yaksha says:
Who makes the sun (aditya) rise (unnayati)
Who walk (charAh) on all its sides or near it (abhitah)
Who sets (astaM nayati) it
Where is it established or stands still (pratitiSThati)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच। 3-314-48x(2886)
ब्रह्मादित्यमुन्नयति देवास्तस्याभितश्चराः।
धर्मश्चास्तं नयति च सत्ये च प्रतितिष्ठति ॥ 3-314-48
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca।
brahmādityamunnayati devāstasyābhitaścarāḥ।
dharmaścāstaṃ nayati ca satye ca pratitiṣṭhati ॥
Yudhishtira says
Brahma makes the sun rise
Devas walk on all its sides
Dharma sets the sun
And in Truth, the sun is established or stands
On a physical level, this may seem to be describing the 4 states of sun through the course of the day - its rising, its moving through the sky, its setting, and it's going back to its original place - like a car being parked in a garage in the night.
But obviously its a bit deeper than that.
There are four sandhyas or junction points in the day - the sun-rise, the mid-day, the sun-set and the mid-night. These are considered very important time for meditative purposes as these are critical transition points in the sun's motion.
But obviously its a bit deeper than that.
Bit of digreesion: Throughout this Yaksha Prashna question-answer the set of 4 coming up again and again - the 4 varnas in fact are discussed in great detail. Whenever the number 4 comes up, as a jyotishi, the association straightaway goes to the 4 kendras or quadrants.
Coming back, let us think what does the sun indicate here and then let's decode Yudhishtira's answer. In my belief, the sun indicates soul or atman and the above shloka shows its journey into and out of this world, it shows the birth, the journey through life, the death and going back (to either some loka or tala).
Brahma makes the sun rise. Brahma is the Creator, he is the progenitor of all. The body was created by Brahma and sun or atman manifests in this world (or rises, as the shloka says) through the vehicle of the body, created by Brahma. Hence Yudhishtira says that Brahma causes the sun to rise.
The Devatas accompany the sun. Who are the Devatas. Devata comes from the root "div" which means light or knowledge. Devatas provide with the knowledge to go through the life's journey. In one sense, devatas are also the indriyas and manas which form the sukshma sharira or subtle body that accompanies the atman in the life's journey and through the indriyas, the consciousness is able to experience this world.
Depending on the prarabdha karma (or the ripened, commenced karma) of the jiva, it adopts a particular body and mind with which it goes through this birth.
After the karmas assigned to this life is over, Yama who is also known as Dharma, comes to claim the atma back. Dharma, also indicates the order or rhythm, and as per the established order anything which is born eventually dies. So Dharma sets the sun. It doesnt mean that the sun is destroyed, it just means that its manifestation or visible period has ended.
And after death or the setting of the soul, what remains is Truth. For only the Atman is the Truth. And after all the karmas are exhausted, the individual atman merges with the Universal Paramatman, which alone is Satya or Truth. This also means that this apparent world, where the sun rises and journeys through i.e. this atman goes through this life in a particular body and mind is not the real truth. Satya is the atman only and nothing else.
Coming back to Jyotish, Lagna is the rising, the birth. And it is determined by the easternmost point at the time of birth. Lagna indicates the body. And through that the soul manifests on this earth.
The tenth house, also known as Svarga is when the Sun is at it's highest point in the sky. Tenth house is the house of achievement, when one is most visible to the world. One is like Indra in the heavens. Hence its mentioned that this is the phase when the devatas accompany the soul. But that is not the Truth, it's not Satya. One can fall from the heavens as one finds innumerable references of this in the Itihasas and Puranas. Just read about Nahusha's fall from the heaven - nothing can be more precipitous than that.
And then evening comes and the sun sets in the seventh house. Seventh house is also considered a maraka, or death inflictor.
And in the 4th house, the Sun is at its lowest point. Yet this is the time for deep meditation for sannyasis who have renounced the world and for whom only Truth is the soul, the Atman. In jyotish, the 4th house is the seat of moksha ayana, its the moksha kendra. Shaucham sukham - only one who is pure can get the true bliss of moksha. Compared to this the 10th house is the Artha Ayana, or the Ayana (direction, path) of achievements, siddhis. Only by renouncing all sense of achievement, all of one's siddhis can one go in the direction of moksha. Thats why in the Gita, its said that give up the fruits of your karma, don't expect them, don't hold onto them. Till the time there is karma to be experienced, one cannot achieve liberation from this cycle of birth and death.
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